Saving Her
by AlexSnape-36
Summary: In order to save her goddaughter from Azkaban, Minerva accepts the alternative of having her temporarily marry...and who better to have a rebel married to than Severus Snape? Severus reluctantly agrees...but when the time comes, can he give her up?
1. Making Improvements

Prolog Making Improvements

Mikayla Whit was angry. She'd been angry for a long time. The ministry of magic had tried to shut her up so many times that she was surprised when they didn't just sentence her to the dementor's kiss. A part of her wishes they would, and if it wasn't for her godmother she would have gotten her way by now. She wouldn't be surprised if it were physically impossible for Minerva McGonagall to mind her own business. Minerva thought she was helping her by standing up for her…that she was just going through a phase. But it wasn't just a phase. For as long as her insides hurt, as long as she woke up screaming or crying, as long as she was forced to face the memories of why she was alone, the ministry of magic would know about it. She would make the ministry feel what she felt. They would be sorry…even if it killed her. She didn't care. She had nothing left to lose.

She pulls her dark red hair back into a ponytail, her green eyes almost black in the shadows that surrounded her. Pulling off her cloak, she crumples up the name tag she had gotten on her way in. She didn't need a hood or a mask. She wanted them to know it was her.

Today was the anniversary of Dumbledore's death and the ministry was throwing a ball to honor him. He didn't deserve that honor, and Merlin help her if she just sat back and watched.

She studies her surrounding, trying to decide what to fix first. To the left there was a huge banner than normally had the minister of magic's face on it. Today it was Dumbledore's face. She pulls out her wand and smirks. She could fix that.

"Incendio!"


	2. Unwelcome Interference

Chapter 1 Unwelcome Interference

"You can't send her to Azkaban, she's only a child!" Minerva objects indignantly.

"I'm nineteen. I'm not a child!" Mikayla snaps angrily.

"Shut up, Mikayla!" Minerva growls, glaring at her.

"We understand your concern in regards to the well being of your god child, Headmistress. However, we cannot allow her to get away with what she has done. We gave her a reprieve when she stole important document, turned five ministry employees into toads, and even when she put Madam Umbridge into St. Mungo's. I think we can all agree that setting the ministry of magic on fire is going too far." The minister points out unwaveringly.

"She's going through a rough time at the moment. Her parents were killed in the war and she hasn't had a suitably stable environment for her to adapt to. She just needs a little push." Minerva argues.

"We were under the impression that you were attempting to provide a stable environment." He counters.

"She is not bound to me. I have been unable to get through to her well enough to get her to agree to stay a Hogwarts, and you know very well how busy I've been as of late." She points out.

"If you, as her legal guardian, cannot control her, why should we release her upon the public?" A dark haired woman asks. "What assurance do we have that this won't happen again? Particularly since she has made her disapproval of the ministry quite obvious."

"I'll just have to be more strict with her. Sentence her to community service. Place her under house arrest…anything other than Azkaban. She's too young. She has her whole life ahead of her. Please don't take that away from her. This is just her way of crying out for help."

"No, this is my way of saying fuc-"

"Shut up, Mikayla!" Minerva snarls furiously, her hands balling up into fists.

"May I make a suggestion, Minister?" The dark haired woman requests.

The minister nods in her direction, watching her expectantly.

"Perhaps a compromise may be reached?" She suggests.

"Go on," The minister replies, curious now.

The woman stands up, turning her attention to Minerva. "You say that all she needs is a stable environment to adapt to?"

"Yes, of course. She has lost almost everyone she has ever cared for. I'm the only one she has left. She just needs time." Minerva pleads.

"Then, if she won't willingly choose a proper environment, why don't we force her into one? The woman continues, "If this is her cry for help, I say we find someone who can help her."

"Are you suggesting we put her into the mental ward?" The minister frowns.

"I'd rather go to Azkaban!" Mikayla snarls angrily, "I'm not mental, I'm pissed off! Sentence me to the dementor's kiss! Put me out of my misery, you old bastard, or I'll just do it again!"

"Mik-" Minerva starts, but the other woman cuts her off.

"I was not suggesting the mental ward. I am suggesting an arranged marriage. It would provide her with a stable environment and someone who may be able to get through to her…I'm sure my son would be able to help her."

"You may be on to something…" The minister answers, throwing the idea around in his head.

"To hell with that! I'm not getting married! Especially to some brat of yours!" Mikayla objects.

The minister nods, studying her and Minerva calculatingly. "It's either an arranged marriage or Azkaban. Take your pick."

"Azkaban," Mikayla replies instantly.

"Before the minister can reply, Minerva cuts in. "Perhaps she would be more willing to accept such a punishment if a few amendments were added to it?"

The minister sighs, "This is a punishment, not a reprieve, Headmistress."

"I understand that. However, does the punishment have to be life long? Wouldn't a temporary arranged marriage be better suited in this case? Just long enough for her to find her footing again?"

After a moment's hesitation he replies, "The marriage will be legally binding…however, her case will be reviewed every three months to assess her progress. She will be magically restricted to the general area around her husband to ensure she doesn't run off. For example, if he husband were to reside at Hogwarts, then she would not be able to step foot outside of the castle unless her husband did as well. If it is decided that she can stay out of trouble and get by on her own, an instant divorce will be granted."

"That sounds much more logical," Minerva agrees, "However, I see one other flaw that could prevent her recovery."

"I see no problems," The woman snaps at her.

"What does your son know about my god child, Madam?" Minerva questions, "What makes him so capable of taking care of her?"

"My son is-"

"A merchant." The minister cuts her off, "Your son is a merchant. Minerva, have three days to find a suitable groom. At noon on the third day, I will decide whether the man you've chosen is capable of doing the job. If not, she will marry the merchant. I suggest you choose wisely."

"Thank you, Minister." Minerva nods, meeting Mikayla's gaze as though she expected a thank you.

Mikayla glares at her, "Meddling old Gryffindor!"


	3. A Really Really Big Favor

Chapter 2 A Really Really Big Favor

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Severus asks stiffly, stepping into the room.

"Yes," Minerva agrees nervously, "Please, sit down."

Severus raises an eyebrow but obliges her.

"We have been friends for a long time, haven't we, Severus?" Minerva starts, choosing her words carefully.

Severus sighs, "What do you want, Minerva?"

"I want you to do something for me…a favor. Don't say no right away. Hear me out first." She requests.

He raises an eyebrow, reading between the lines. What she really meant to say was, 'You're not going to like this, but I'm going to con you into it anyways.' The last time she approached him in such a way he had been forced to offer both Remus Lupin and Sirius Black jobs at Hogwarts. Minerva had thought it would encourage them to get along. Severus still regretted it.

"Just spit it out, Minerva. What do you want me to do?" He snaps in annoyance.

"I want you to get married." Minerva replies bluntly.

"Excuse me?" He frowns, sure that he had heard her wrong. "You want me to-"

"Get married, yes, to my goddaughter. It would only be temporary, Severus, and you're the only person I would trust to do it."

"Do it? What the bloody hell are you talking about, Minerva?" He snaps defensively.

"No! Not like that! Of course not! That's why I'm asking you!" She replies quickly, "I know there wouldn't be any risk of intimacy if it were you she was married to!"

Severus opens his mouth to respond to what he was sure he should take as an insult, but snaps it shut and stands up to leave instead.

"Severus!" She objects.

"We've been _friends_ for a long time, haven't we, Minerva?" He throws at her, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Do you really think I'm going to sit here and listen to you insult-"

She cuts him off, "Good heavens, Severus, I didn't mean it like that. This is coming out all wrong. Let me explain." She insists, cutting him off.

He crosses his arms across his chest and glares at her.

"Her name is Mikayla White. Her parents died in the war. I'm the only family she has left. As of late, she's gotten into a bit of trouble lately…quite a bit of trouble actually. The minister believes an arranged marriage would force her to take responsibility for her actions and help her get past this…stage of grieving that she has been going through. He is also hoping, I believe, that a husband would keep her in line and out of trouble. I convinced him to allow the marriage to be temporary. He agreed to review her case every three months. If she stays out of trouble and changes her attitude an instant divorce will be granted. He was going to arrange the marriage himself, but I don't trust that woman's son not to take advantage of my goddaughter. I want her to be better after this, not scarred for life. You're the only person I trust to do it."

"How old is she?" Severus frowns, studying her calculatingly. There had to be more of a catch to it than a temporary inconvenience.

"She's…younger than you." Minerva answers hesitantly.

"How much younger, Minerva?" Severus demands suspiciously.

Minerva avoids his gaze, "Too young to go to Azkaban."

"Did I teach her?" He pushes, almost afraid of the answer, "Is she one of my students?"

"No, she was homeschooled because her parents enjoyed travelling and like to take her with them. I'm quite certain that you've never met her." Minerva answers, meeting his gaze again. "She's nineteen years old."

"I'm almost twice her age!" Severus snaps pointedly, "You're asking me to marry a child?"

"I'm asking you to help her stay out of Azkaban and avoid an arranged marriage with a man who may very well rape her." Minerva snaps back impatiently.

"What makes you think _I_ wouldn't take advantage of her?" He points out, putting his hands flat on her desk and leaning towards her threateningly.

"Would you?" She demands, standing up.

Severus studies her before closing his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

"No," He answers finally.

"No, you wouldn't hurt her or no, you won't help?" Minerva asks defensively.

"If you have to ask me that, you don't know me well enough to ask me to do this." Severus counters.

Minerva hesitates, meeting his gaze, "Will you, temporarily, marry Mikayla, Severus?"

"What are the requirements the minister set?" He asks finally, giving in.

"Yesterday he gave me three days to find a groom. Tomorrow at noon they'll perform the marriage. I imagine he'll go over everything else then." She explains.

"Does she know?" He questions.

"She knows she has to marry. She knows I'm choosing her groom. I haven't mentioned you to her. She won't meet you until tomorrow at the ministry." She explains.

"Your requirements?" He raises an eyebrow. Knowing her, she had chosen him out of the hope that she would have more control over the marriage.

"Nothing you should have any trouble with. I don't want you pushing her into anything physical, obviously. Consider yourself more of a …professor than a husband. Keep her in line. The less trouble she gets in to the sooner this is over with." She requests.

"Simple enough," He agrees, turning around and making for the door.

"And, Severus?" She stops him.

"Yes?"

"Do try to be empathetic, won't you? Treat her with respect."

Severus rolls his eyes, "Of course, Minerva."


	4. The Minister's Conditions

Chapter 3 The Minister's Conditions

Mikayla tossed and turned in her bed at her godmother's estate. She had her own room. She had free food and clothes. She didn't even have to work if she didn't want to. She should be happy, but she wasn't. She was annoyed, frustrated, and, if she were to be honest with herself (which she wasn't) a little nervous. It was anger, she told herself. She wasn't afraid, just angry that she had been trapped in this house for so long and was about to be trapped in an arranged marriage with a man she had never met.

When she was little she had dreamt about getting married. Not a single daydream included strangers, like her fiancé, or jackasses, like the ministry. It pissed her off. If her parents were still alive, this wouldn't have happened. None of it would have happened. She would have no reason to be angry with these people. It had happened, though, and she was angry. She couldn't change that…but she didn't have to sit back and take it.

_Set the ministry on fire_, her arse. All she did was disintegrate a few things.

She sat up and went to her closet, pulling out a tight black pair of pants and a black hoodie. She took off her pajamas and pulled on the other clothes, not bothering to put a shirt on beneath the hoodie. This wouldn't take long, but she didn't want to ruin her favorite night clothes. Moving to the window, she carefully pushed it open and smirked. Minerva always warded the doors, but had never bothered with the windows. Since she was already being punished for it, she'd might as well show the ministry what fire really was.

* * *

><p>"Your note this morning said to meet you in the great hall at ten-thirty." Severus snaps in annoyance, storming into the Headmistress's office with his robes billowing behind him. "It is now five minutes past eleven."<p>

"I can't find her?" Minerva explains quickly, turning to face him.

"What do you mean you 'can't find her'?" He demands, "Weren't you supposed to have detained her until the meeting with the minister?"

"I mean precisely what I said, Severus. I can't find her. She was supposed to be at my house in London. I locked her in, but she somehow escaped. I don't know where she is."

"Then you obviously didn't secure the house well enough." He snaps.

"I locked and warded all the entrances," She objects.

"Even the windows?" Severus prods questioningly.

"Of course not the windows! They're for-" She breaks off, realizing what had happened. "The wards were still on the door when I arrived. The window to her room was open."

"She escaped through the window, which you left unwarded. Did you take her wand, or did that _slip your mind_ as well, Gryffindor?" Severus questions mockingly.

Minerva glares at him and purses her lips.

"Minerva…" Severus sighs.

"I didn't think it would hurt to let her have her wand since there was no way out of the house." Minerva explains defensively.

"Obviously there was a way out of the house. If your assumptions had been correct, I wouldn't have wasted thirty-five minutes of my morning waiting on you to show up." He counters, "As it is, they were not."

Before she can reply, he cuts her off, "You're due at the ministry by noon. I suggest you get going, Minerva. I highly doubt they'll be as forgiving as I have been."

"No, Severus. _We_ are expected at the ministry by noon." She corrects him with a twinkle in her eyes. She wasn't going to let him out of it that easily.

"There is no point in my joining you. There cannot be a marriage without a bride, and you have lost mine. Therefore, I am exempt." He points out smugly.

"She will eventually turn up, Severus, and when she does, she will need a groom."

"Isn't it more likely that the minister will sentence her to serve time in Azkaban if she doesn't show up today?" He suggests.

"Not if I have anything to do about it." She snaps back, holding out a bag of floo powder so that he could take some. "Let's go."

Severus rolls his eyes, but took a handful and motioned for Minerva to go first.

"No, that's quite alright, Severus, after you." She says simply.

He raises an eyebrow, "Don't trust that I will follow you?"

"No, I don't." She answers honestly, tilting her head towards the fireplace. "Now go on, we don't want to be late."

"Wise choice." He admits, stepping into the fireplace and tossing the floo powder down. "Ministry of Magic."

* * *

><p>Minerva led Severus into the same trial room that she and Mikayla had been in during the sentencing and was shocked to see Mikayla already standing before the Minister, an auror on either side of her.<p>

"What happened? Mikayla, you were supposed to stay at the house!" Minerva snaps angrily.

Severus moves to stand on the other side of Minerva, studying the young woman he was to play temporary husband to. Her messy, unbrushed dark red hair fell to just below her shoulders, complimenting the smooth lines of her face and making her dark green eyes stand out. She was a few inches shorter than him, which he had expected, but she looked older than Minerva had told him she was. He had expected a spoiled teenager that was accustomed to getting whatever she wanted and was in trouble for throwing out of control tantrums because she no longer got her way. What he saw was something quite different. She had a stiff, determined look about her, as though she knew what she'd done and was more than willing to accept the consequences.

What she didn't look was regretful. He didn't need to use ligillimens to see that she wasn't at all sorry. That she didn't expect mercy. Almost as though she didn't want it. It reminded him of the way he had felt standing trial for Dumbledore's murder and other various crimes he had committed as a deatheater. Someone that young shouldn't look that way…but she was beautiful. He would give Minerva that much. It was more subtle on her than it was on some of the women most men normally lusted after…and she made no attempt at flaunting her curves. She looked like the sort who could feel confident without wearing clothing that left nothing to the imagination. He appreciated that.

She met his gaze for a moment, pulling him out of his thoughts. She let her gaze fall down his form before turning her attention to Minerva.

"I couldn't sleep. I decided to show the minister, here, what it felt like." She sneers, "Is this the groom? Isn't he a bit old for me?"

"She started a fire in the regulations department. It spread too quickly for her to be able to make it out on her own." The Minister cut in before Minerva could reply.

"Yes, because you locked me in!" Mikayla spat at him.

"We were trying to close off the fire so that it couldn't spread to a different department. How were we supposed to know you were still in there?" The dark haired woman from the previous trial replies. She stood up and motioned for the man next to her to do the same. "The sooner she's under control the better, and no deatheater is fit to tame a girl this out of control. On those grounds, I must insist that my son be the one to marry her."

"Hello to you as well, Mrs. Newton." Severus sneers at her.

Minerva glares at him before directing her disapproval at the minister. "We agreed that I would be the judge of who would be the best husband for my goddaughter. I've brought the groom. Mr. Newton has no business here."

"I said you could choose someone to request our approval of. Mr. Newton is the alternative. At this trial, we shall interrogate both men and take a vote on which we believe is more suitable for the task at hand."

"I was not informed that there would be an interrogation." Severus objects impatiently. He had already spent enough time being interrogated by the minister to last him two lifetimes.

"You do, of course, have the right to back out no, Snape. Under those circumstances Mr. Newton will be the one to marry Miss White." The minister counters.

Minerva glares at Severus, daring him to back out on her after he had already agreed to help her. He would never hear the end of it if he did…or be dismissed from chaperone duties at the various social events Minerva would throw at Hogwarts simply to torture him with.

"That won't be necessary. However, you may want to consider providing more accurate details to the possible grooms the next time you decide you want to arrange a marriage as a form of punishment." He answers, meeting the minister's gaze challengingly.

"Shall we get started then?" The minister replies, ignoring Severus's suggestion. "We have done a background check on Mr. Newton and his record is clean. You, I believe, have quite an extensive criminal background, don't you, Professor?" He questions Severus. It couldn't be more obvious who he would rather have as the groom.

"No," Severus answers curtly.

"No?" The minister repeats, raising both eyebrows. "I myself performed your trial when you were accused of one count of murder and multiple counts of theft, spying, and torture…among other things."

"Then you should also already be aware of the fact that my name was cleared of all wrongdoings on the basis that I did what I had to do in order to ensure the Dark Lord's downfall." Severus counters, "Therefore, not only is my record clean, but I'm also more experienced in dealing with witches and wizards of her nature, making me more qualified for 'the task at hand', as you put it."

"The fact that you committed criminal acts and managed to get away with it does not make you more qualified." Mrs. Newton objects.

"No, but the fact that I committed them in order to ensure that you would have the authority to interrogate people, in cases such as this, for example, clears my record, which is, in fact, what is in question…not whether or not you approve of what it took to end the Dark Lord's reign." He counters confidently.

"What would her living arrangements be if you were her husband, Mr. Newton?" The minister questions.

"Is this really necessary?" Minerva snaps, "Surely you've all had access to their files? You should already know the answer to these questions."

"I agree," Mrs. Newton replies, much to Minerva's surprise.

"Why?" Minerva demands suspiciously.

"Because it's obvious from Snape's attitude that my son would be a much better groom than your professor." She answers haughtily.

"Well, it's obvious from _your son's attitude_ that I would hex _your son's arse_ before getting revenge against you for making me marry him. If he can't even speak for himself I highly doubt he would be much of a challenge for me to get away from." Mikayla sneers.

Severus lifts an eyebrow at her. She sounded as though she were choosing him.

She glares at Severus before adding, "Not that Minerva's choice is much better."

"Don't speak to your superiors that way!" The son snaps as though she already belonged to him…or simply wanted to make a point.

"If you'd get your head out of your mother's arse you may be able to see things from my point of view, Mr. Newton. " Mikayla replies mockingly, shaking the hair out of her face. "The fact that they have high paying jobs doesn't make them my superiors…and you don't own me. You can't tell me what to do."

"If you are a member of this jury and believe you have enough information on both grooms to make your vote now, raise your hand." The minister instructs.

Minerva takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as the majority of the ministry officials raise their hands.

"Very well. All in favor of Mr. Newton?' He continues, eager to get it over with. The minister and Mrs. Newton were the only two who raised their hands, much to Minerva's relief and Mr. Newton's chagrin.

"Professor Snape, it looks as though you will be the groom. Don't make me regret this." The minister sighs.

Severus merely raises an eyebrow at him.

"Mr. Newton," The Minister continues, "You are dismissed."

"You'll regret this, Snape!" Newton snarls, shoving past him on his way towards the public exit.

"I'm sure I will," Severus sneers sarcastically.

Minerva elbows him.

The minister takes out his wand and taps a piece of parchment lying on the table in front of him. A soft blue light engulfs the parchment but quickly disappears. "Professor, Headmistress, I will need both of your signatures. As this is a temporary marriage, there will be no formal ceremony. However, by signing this document, Miss White will legally become Mrs. Snape, and I am the only person who can grant your divorce or alter the document in any other way. If you have any questions, I suggest we address them now, before you sign the document."

"I have no questions," Severus states simply.

Minerva nods in agreement.

Severus follows Minerva towards the minister's table and they both tap their wands on the parchment, magically binding Severus and Mikayla in marriage without her consent.

"Now that that's finished, there are just a few other things we need to go over." The minister continues, motioning for them to return to their places.

"Excuse me?" Severus snaps, glaring at him. "Were you not supposed to cover all the necessary points before we signed the document?"

"I gave you the opportunity to ask questions. You said you had none. I assure you, you won't have any trouble with the rest of this." The minister replies irritably, "As a part of the punishment, Mrs. Snape is not permitted outside of her dwelling place without her husband for the next three weeks. You are required to ensure that your wife meets this requirement, along with the others. If you would rather her live at your house, Snape, I will provide a substitute teacher in your absence."

"That won't be necessary. She will reside within Hogwarts grounds. I am fully capable of teaching my classes myself." Severus insists.

"I thought as much," The minister mutters his disapproval.

Severus opens his mouth to reply but Minerva catches his attention and shakes her head.

"If she is caught outside of Hogwarts grounds without you at any time within these three weeks, you will be considered incapable of controlling her and another, more capable, groom shall be appointed. Is that understood?"

Severus nods curtly.

"Once a week for the first five weeks I will have an auror to observe and take notes on both you and your wife's activities and interactions. He will report directly to me and if I disapprove of anything they discover…anything at all, I will send you a warning. If the problem is not fixed by the time the next auror arrives, a more suitable groom will be found. Is that understood?"

Severus nods again.

"Every three months, I shall review her case. You will be given the time, date, and place for each review. All three of you will be required to attend. If she has made a suitable amount of progress and I consider it safe to release her back into civil society, she will be granted an instant divorce, with or without your consent. Finally, just to make sure that you understand what you have agreed to, despite the lack of a formal ceremony, you have just married Mikayla White. You are expected to consummate the marriage. If you do not, I will find out and a more suitable groom will replace you. You are to act as husband and wife. The auror that observes you shall be ordered to look for and report such interactions that may indicate that you are not treating this like a legal marriage. If you are not, I will not hesitate to find a suitable replacement. Is that understood?"

"Of course," Severus replies through clenched teeth, forcing himself to agree to the terms.

"I'm not sleeping with him!" Mikayla objects, the color draining from her face.

"You should have thought about that before you set the ministry on fire. As it is, you have no choice." The minister replies, almost as though he were boasting about it. "And I would be careful, if I were you. Your next groom won't be a friend of your god mother's. If you think you have it bad now, break one of my conditions and see what happens."

"Fuck you and your conditions!" She snarls back.


	5. Mercy She Didn't Expect

Chapter 4 Mercy She Didn't Expect

"Consider yourself warned, Mrs. Snape." The Minister snarls.

Mikayla spits in his direction but doesn't reply.

"Kindly escort her to Hogwarts and then you may return to the head auror for further instructions." The Minister instructs, turning his attention to the two aurors who still had a firm hold on her.

"That won't be necessary. She's _my_ wife. _I_ will take her," Severus snaps, glaring at the aurors.

The aurors looked at the Minister questioningly. Mikayla glared at Severus.

"The paper I just gave me the responsibility, the _right_, to react towards her and her environment in such a fashion as I would had I married her properly for the right reasons. Either you take your hands off of _my wife_, or I will cause you more trouble than she ever has." Severus demands.

The Minister shrugs, "If you think you can handle her, be my guest. However, should she escape, I will have you taken into custody for letting loose a dangerous criminal into our peaceful society and you will be charged with any crime she commits before she is brought into custody again."

Mikayla studies the two men, wondering which one she should hate more. The Minister seemed rather hopeful that she would cause a scene. On the other hand, they both wanted her to play wife and she had no interest in giving them what they wanted. The aurors hesitantly released her and took a step back as Severus offered her his arm. She glares at him defensively and takes a step back as he mutters something under his breath. His voice pushes its way through her defenses and into her mind. _It's either me or the aurors. It would be in your best interest to play along…I won't hurt you, Mikayla._

She wasn't unfamiliar with the art of ligillimency. Her father had been one. Mikayla meets Severus's gaze defiantly before moving past him to stand next to Minerva. They may be able to force her to marry him, but if he thought she was going to help him impress the minister he had another thing coming to him.

Looking back at him, she raises an eyebrow, "Coming, Husband?"

* * *

><p>"I want my own room, Minerva. The castle is huge. There's no reason I should have to room with him." Mikayla insists stubbornly.<p>

"The Minister expects it…" Minerva answers hesitantly.

"The minister also expects him to rape me. Do you expect me to be ok with that as well, Minerva? If my father was here he'd hex you for even suggesting such a thing, let alone putting me through this. I would rather have received the dementor's kiss. At least then I wouldn't have to feel anything." Mikayla counters.

"Well, your father isn't here, Mikayla. I understand why you're still upset about it, but you cannot let his loss run your lif-"

"You don't understand anything!" Mikayla objects.

Minerva raises her voice to speak over her, commanding her attention, "If your father were here he would thank me for convincing the minister to spare you with such a mild punishment! Be thankful you're getting off so easy. We must convince the minister that you are following his orders, Resisting will only make things worse. Believe me, I don't like this any more than you do, and I assure you that Severus is more uncomfortable with this than both of us combin-"

"Honestly, Minerva! Do you really believe that? The man was just given permission, ordered even, to do whatever he feels like with me! What does he have to complain about?" Mikayla throws at her.

"The invasion upon my person space," Severus answers, entering Minerva's office without bothering to knock. "I value my privacy."

Mikayla whirls around to face him, "It's agreed then. I should have my own rooms!"

"Yes, because that worked out so well when you had your own rooms at Minerva's home." Severus replies sarcastically, "Would you truly rather have Mr. Newton for a husband? Because that's precisely what will happen should you succeed with another escape attempt."

"What do you care?" She counters angrily.

"The minister of magic isn't a fool. Any damage you cause from now until you're granted your freedom will fall on my shoulders as well as yours. You made the choice to set the ministry on fire. Now you must face the consequences and live as my wife…and my wife sleeps in my chambers."

"Surely he won't blame you if she gets into trouble again," Minerva frowns.

"The Minister has never approved of my insistence upon remaining in the wizarding world. As a matter of fact, both he and Newton were the two who pushed for my being thrown into Azkaban, or at the very least banishment. Neither of them were pleased when my name was cleared. I wouldn't put it passed them to pin anything they possibly can on me." Severus explains.

"Then why did she was her son to be Mikayla's husband? If she wanted to attempt to trap you into a compromising position, wouldn't she have supported your desire to be Mikayla's husband?" Minerva questions.

Severus raises his eyebrow at her accusation that he had agreed to the marriage for any reason other than because she asked him to, but chooses not to address it in front of Mikayla. The last thing he wanted was to give her a reason to cause him any more trouble than being married to her promised to be.

"I'm not entirely certain," He replies, answering her question. "This, however, is off topic. Mikayla will sleep in my rooms.

"Are you really going to let him do this to me? How very god motherly of you." Mikayla sneers irritably.

"You'll thank me for this later." Minerva answers softly, avoiding her gaze.

"Don't count on it!" Mikayla snarls, shoving her way past Severus and out of the room.

Severus starts to follow her, but Minerva stops him.

"Severus?"

He turns back towards her and raises an eyebrow.

"You recall our discussion when I first asked you to do this?"

"Minerva, I am the same man now as I was then." He answers knowingly, rolling his eyes. "Nothing has changed."

"Good. Keep it that way."

* * *

><p>Severus removes the wards on his door and replaces them with ones altered to allow Mikayla to enter. Standing back, he motions for her to go in ahead of him. She enters the room and looks around.<p>

The walls were made of the same grey stone that the hallways outside the room were made of. The floor was made of grey stone, but black rugs were positioned conveniently around the room. There was a large, circular black rug beneath the furniture positioned in the center of the room, facing the fireplace. There was a black leather sofa and to matching chairs on either side. In front of the sofa was a rectangular center table covered with books, and there was a smaller black rug in front of the fireplace. Packed bookshelves lined wall to the left. On the wall opposite them was three closed wooden doors.

"You may come and go from the room as you please so long as you do not leave Hogwarts." He murmurs, studying her reaction to her new home. It was probably vastly different from what she was used to while she was living with Minerva. "Stay out of my lab, the last door on the right, and try not to damage my books."

He moves to the door on the left and opens it. "This is the bedroom. The house elves wash…" He looks her over, noticing the scorch marks on her clothes before adding, "and repair clothes that you leave on the floor. They normally have them back by the next day."

He gaze lands on the fireplace just as he adds, "Don't bother trying to floo out. Minerva has adjusted every fireplace in the castle to recognize your magical signature. Despite where you're trying to go, you'll end up in her office."

"I'm a prisoner here. I get the picture. I'm not thick." She snaps.

"Then I trust there will be no escape attempts." He counters.

"Yes, keep trusting that." She throws back.

"You would only make things worse for yourself." He snaps.

"Not if I do something bad enough," She mutters.

"Keep it up and you'll piss him off to the point where not even Minerva can save from the dementor's kiss!" He sneers.

"Good! Let's do that!" She replies mockingly, "It would be better than being married to you!"

"Would it?" He murmurs in surprise, studying her. "You don't even know me. The marriage is temporary. Play your cards right and we'll both be free in three months."

"_This_ is not temporary. They can't fix this…" She sighs, closing her eyes, "Nothing can fix this."

"Fix what, exactly?" He questions, realizing she was no longer referring to him or the marriage.

"It's none of your business." Mikayla answers quickly, her eyes snapping back open.

After a moment he nods and sits down in the chair furthest from her on the other side of the fireplace. From this angle he could see both the entrance door and the door to the bedroom. He picks up one of the books that was lying on the center table and pretends to read. Mikayla glares at him for a moment, uncomfortably wondering what she was expected to do. Making sure he wasn't watching, she began inching towards the bedroom.

Severus wasn't sure whether to be annoyed that she was trying to sneak around or amused that she didn't think he had noticed. He didn't care whether or not she went into the bedroom, of course, but that was hardly the point. He settled for smirking at the discovery that he could so easily fool her into thinking he wasn't paying attention.

* * *

><p>Mikayla had been lying on the bed for at least an hour and Severus still hadn't made a move to try to consummate their 'marriage'. She had no doubt in her mind that he intended to comply with the minister's requirements. All of them. Nor was she under the impression that he had a problem with getting laid, so that left only one explanation. He was putting it off as a way of showing her that he was in control, that he had power over her. He wanted to make her uneasy and uncomfortable, waiting for him.<p>

Well, to hell with him if he thought she was going to give him that power. She'd made it perfectly clear that she didn't want him, but if she was going to have to do it anyways she wanted to hurry up and get it over with. That was what her father used to tell her. He always told her to take care of the worst bit first because then she wouldn't have to worry about it later. The rest would be easier. If she put it off, it would only stress her.

She slowly sat up, trying not to put pressure on her arms or hands. She'd burned herself in her attempt to escape the fire. The auror hadn't bothered to heal her or repair her scorched clothes…and they claimed to care so much about people. They were liars. All of them. Even Minerva, who acted as though they were trying so hard to help her. Mikayla saw right through her god mother just as easily as she saw straight through the ministry officials. She didn't trust anyone. Trust only made you vulnerable. People take advantage of the vulnerable.

She stood up and carefully pulled off the hoodie, trying not to flinch when the fabric slipped across the burns. She had taken off her shoes and socks earlier so she didn't need to worry about them. She slipped out of her pants and resisted the urge to wrap a blanket around herself. It was freezing, but being nude would encourage him to go ahead and do it. And it would show him that she wasn't afraid of anything. He couldn't control her. She made her own decisions. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before moving towards the door and out into the main room. Severus was still sitting in the chair facing her, reading the same book. She let her arms fall to her side.

Severus's gaze flickered up to her, back to his book, and then back to her, doing a double take. He had intended to look up just long enough to see what she was doing. It took him a second to register that she was naked. He let his eyes fall down her form for a moment before catching himself staring at her. His pant suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable…

"Go on. Do it." She dares him, lifting her chin.

He raises an eyebrow, closing his book and placing it back on the table. He stands up and takes off his cloak, tossing it at her and watching her easily catch it.

"Your clothes are in the closet. Minerva had the house elves bring them. You may cover yourself with my cloak until you've decided upon something decent to wear to bed." He instructs.

She drops the cloak on the floor. "So you can what? Rip my clothes in the attempt to get them off? Is that what turns you on?"

He smirks, "Ripping them off…not literally ripping them, but that's beside the point."

"What are you waiting for, Snape? Just get it over with!"

He reached her in four long strides, backing her up against the bookshelf. He caged her in with an arm on either side of her head, but was careful not to touch her. She was tempting, and he needed to keep control of himself.

"I don't know what sort of man you think I am, Miss White, but I am _not_ a_ rapist._" He hesitates for a moment, letting his gaze flicker down towards her body before meeting her gaze again. "I haven't _had _a woman in…a while. I suggest you keep your clothes on." He held her gaze for a moment before moving to pick up his cloak. He considered handing it back to her but thought better of it, having no interest in a repeat.

"I don't understand." She frowns in confusion, studying him.

"Do you want me to take you?" He questions, meeting her gaze, forcing himself to breathe evenly.

"Why the hell would I-"

He cuts her off, "Then go get dressed and go to bed. You may shut the door if you wish. There's no way to escape from that room."

He waves his wand at the couch, elongating it to a more comfortable size, trying to distract himself with something les arousing.

"You don't want me?" She demands suspiciously.

"I prefer my women willing." He sneers, "We just covered the fact that you don't want me."

"It's been made perfectly clear to me that it doesn't matter what I want. The minister said-" She starts.

"The minister said what?" He snaps, "That I'm supposed to rape you? I believe I will pass. I no longer make a habit of following orders that I find unreasonable."

"Then you're not going to…?"

"No, I'm not," He answers, impatiently. "As a matter of fact, I plan to sleep on the couch. The bedroom is yours."

"Why are you doing this?" She frowns, starting to calm down.

He studies her for a moment before replying, "Because Minerva asked me to."

She opens her mouth to reply but thinks better of it and turns around, starting back towards the room.

Severus's gaze falls down her back, studying the curves her clothes hid from him. If she wanted to walk around nude, she could hardly blame him for looking. She had a nice arse, long legs, and… He frowns, taking in the dark red burn marks on her hands and arms.

"Stop!" He snaps instinctively.

She freezes in the doorway, hardly daring to breathe. She ought to have known he would change his mind.

"Turn around." He instructs, "Slowly."

"Mikayla hesitates before obeying. She had gotten herself into this. She should have gone back into the room the instant she realized he hadn't intended to take her. She slowly turns around to face him, meeting his gaze challengingly.

"Your hands and arms," He continues, studying her calculatingly, "They're the only places you were burned?"

He let his gaze drift over her body, searching for confirmation before moving back towards her.

She nods curtly.

"Raise your arms," He demands. He allows a look of mock surprise to appear on his face as she does as he asked. He carefully wraps his cloak around her like a towel, magically binding it in the back.

"You can put your arms down now." He murmurs, keeping his expression neutral. There was something oddly attractive about seeing her wrapped in nothing but his cloak. "Sit down."

"What do you think you're doing?" She asks defensively, watching as he moves towards a small cabinet in the opposite corner of the room and starts rummaging through it.

"Taking care of my wife," He mutters, pulling out a small jar. He opens it as he makes his way back towards her, placing the lid on the glass table before kneeling down in front of her. "One at a time, hold your arms straight out, palms up. I need to see what I'm doing…This may sting a bit."

"A burn salve?" She frowns, watching as he gently spreads the lotion-like substance on her burns. It was cold, but the pain and heat quickly countered it and disappeared from her skin as the salve dissolved into it. "You're healing me?"

"One would question why you sound so surprised." He answers simply, starting on her other arm.

She doesn't reply, her eyes glued to his face as his professional touch slowly turned into what could almost be mistaken for a caress. His fingertips gently made their way down her arm, checking for any abnormally warm or discolored spots. He felt a shiver run through her as he moved his thumb over her wrist and his gaze shot up to meet hers.

After a moment a smug expression crossed his face. "You're not quite as repulsed as you claim to be, are you?"

She jerks her hand away. Her parents had never been excessively strict on whom she spent her time with, so she wasn't exactly innocent…but no one had ever touched her like that.

Severus quickly stands up and takes a step back, busying himself with putting the lid back on the jar and returning the jar to its place in the cabinet.

"Leave my cloak on the floor of the bedroom. The house elves will take care of it and return it to me. While you're here the bedroom is yours. I've already moved my things out and stored them somewhere more private." He tells her, "With any luck neither of us will ever be in the other's way…just so long as you stay in line."

She stands up and makes her way back into the room, hesitating in the doorway. "Thank you," She says forcefully, avoiding his gaze. The defensive tone had returned to her tone of voice.

He nods once and she goes back into the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. He smirks as he glimpses several flashes of light escaping out of the cracks between the door and the door frame. She was warding the door…as though that could keep him out if he set his mind to getting in.

Minerva had better hope three months was as long as this lasted. He wasn't fond of the idea of his personal space being closed off to him.


	6. That Skeeter Woman

Chapter 5 That Skeeter Woman

Four days. She had locked herself in his room for four days. She had barely spoken a word to him in all that time, house elves brought her meals, and Minerva had asked him if he had locked her up in a closet. On the other hand she had opted to keep her clothes on while in his presence. Not that he was complaining about the view she had offered, but he could only be tempted so far. He hadn't informed Minerva of the little display her god daughter had put on, nor did he have any intention to. The last thing he needed was for Minerva to start blaming him for the girl's out of control impulses.

He opens the door to the great hall and quickly makes his way to the staff table, glaring at the few students who snickered as he passed. He inwardly frowned at the unusual occurrence. Normally they wouldn't dare to so much as meet his gaze. He also couldn't help but notice that the other staff members seemed to be reacting oddly to his presence. A few of them fell silent as he sat down next to Minerva.

"Good morning, Severus!" She greets him, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"What is it?" He demands quietly, his instincts telling him to keep his voice down.

"What is what?" She replies, taking a long sip of her coffee.

"Whatever you're not telling me!" He snaps.

"There are many things I haven't told you, Severus. For example, contrary to popular belief, I actually prefer dogs over cats. I have three pairs of socks with dogs on them. I would never wear them to class, of course. That would be unprofessional, and I like to keep the students guessing."

Severus sighs, "I am not in the mood to run circles around you, Minerva. If it relates to me in any way, you sure as hell better tell me what's going on. You owe me your wand arm at the moment. The least you can do is be honest with me."

She hesitates, studying him for a moment before finally, seemingly, giving in. "Very well, Severus. I admit it. It's all a lie. I prefer cats. My mother gave those socks to me as a Christmas gift and I absolutely hate them!"

He meets her gaze with a sharp glare. Minerva's shoulders droop in defeat. "You're not going to like this, Severus."

"I've grown accustomed to having to deal with things I don't like." He returns calmly, "This can hardly be much worse than anything else I've had to deal with in my lifetime."

Minerva turns to Professor Sprout, who was sitting on her other side, and nods. "It was a nice try…give him the paper."

Professor Sprout reluctantly passes him the Daily Prophet, a fearful, apologetic look on her face; as though she was afraid he was going to hex the messenger. Severus took it, ignoring her expression. On the front page was a picture of him offering his arm to Mikayla, who looked terrified. Bold letters above the photograph read "Punishment by Deatheater?" Severus glares at Minerva again before he begins reading the article.

_Fifteen year old Mikayla White (above right) had no idea what was about to happen when she accidently set fire to the Ministry of Magic while attempting to create fireworks to celebrate the late Albus Dumbledore's life. As many of you know, this past weekend the Minister of Magic decided to throw a celebration in honor of Albus Dumbledore, against the better judgment of yours truly! In an attempt to participate in said celebration, Mikayla White used her wand to create fireworks, which she then lost control of, resulting in a huge fire in the Department of Regulations. Her punishment? An Arranged marriage to none other than the infamous Severus Snape, the right hand of you-know-who before his downfall three years ago. Through unknown methods, Snape (above left) somehow convinced the Minister of Magic to clear his name of all charges. We may now know why the Minister failed to prosecute Dumbledore's murderer. He intended to use him as an experimental form of punishment. An anonymous source has informed me that he attempted to spare Whit from becoming the wife of a known deatheater, and even offered to sacrifice his comfortable life of bachelorhood and marry her himself. The Minister, however, seemed quite insistent that Snape be the one for the job. As shown in the photo above, Snape himself was equally as eager to become the method of punishment for the innocent young girl._

_What this reporter wants to know is when our society lowered its morals to the point that it would be ok to force anyone, let alone a child, into marrying a deatheater who somehow escaped punishment himself? When did rape become a legalized method of punishment? And will there be any hope of recovery for the traumatized White once she finally escapes whatever torture the deatheater is undoubtedly putting her through?_

_The Minister of Magic has refused to comment on this issue,_

_ Yours Truly- Rita Skeeter _

Severus slowly lowers the paper and looks up at Minerva.

"The anonymous source is Newton, I assume?" He questions, tossing the paper back to Sprout.

"It does sound like it, doesn't it?" Minerva agrees, watching him as though she thought he would explode at any second.

He pours himself a cup of coffee and puts toast, eggs, and sausage on his plate. He starts eating, ignoring the stares and whispers that were being sent his way.

"You seem to be taking this surprisingly well," Minerva points out, choosing her words carefully.

"It's a load of rubbish from Skeeter. She's famous for it, so it's not surprising. What is there to get worked up about?" He counters.

"She's using your past against you, Severus. It's not right." Minerva insists.

"She's not the only one. Do you honestly believe that everyone just forgot about the accusations once my name was cleared?" He mutters, "If this is the worst that happens, I may escape from this unscathed."

"I will explain everything to the rest of the staff at the staff meeting this afternoon, and I will think of something to tell the students. They were bound to find out eventually, but it shouldn't have been like this." She says, trying to sound understanding.

He rolls his eyes, "Do what you wish, but if I were you I would be more concerned about how Mikayla will react to the news that her violent protests of the celebration were made to look as though she was trying to honor Dumbledore."

* * *

><p>As much as he hated his classes today, Severus was looking forward to the staff meeting even less. After taking close to sixty points from each house, other than Slytherin, the word got around that no one should mention the article in his presence. Luckily, he'd only had to take ten points from his own house, which didn't necessarily count because he had later awarded Slytherin fifteen points for house loyalty after several of his students hexed Gryffindors in defense. He had taken ten points for hexing them and then awarded fifteen for loyalty.<p>

The staff meeting, however, would be a different story entirely. He couldn't take house points from other Professors, and he doubted that it would make much of a difference if he could. On top of that, Lupin had taken to heart Minerva's attempts at getting them to get along…influencing his decision to force his presence on Severus by insisting upon sitting next to him at every meal and staff meeting. Where Lupin was, Black was never far behind. Black was nothing like Lupin. As a matter of fact, Black was more like an oversized student that Severus wasn't allowed to take points from. Minerva had made Black head of Gryffindor house…so, in a way, Severus had been taking points from him all day…but it wasn't the same as taking points directly. Black would probably throw a fit about it at the meeting. That would give him a snippet of pleasure.

Severus took a long drink from his bottle of firewhiskey before sitting it down on the center table and making his way out of his chambers. A few minutes later Mikayla emerged from his bedroom, her face red.

She was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet.

* * *

><p>"So, is it true, Snivellus?" Black asks mockingly, taking his usual seat on the other side of Lupin. "Are you really raping a girl to punish her for supporting Dumbledore?"<p>

"Please don't start, Sirius. "Remus interjects before Severus could reply with his usual mocking sarcasm.

"Yes, please don't." Minerva agrees, entering the room followed closely by Professor Trelawney, who had apparently forgotten about the meeting again.

Sirius grins at Severus as if promising to continue the conversation later. Severus rolls his eyes and folds his arms across his chest.

"I only have one order or business to discuss this evening, and then you may place your concerns on the table as well." She starts, "As I'm sure you all know, Severus made the front page of the daily prophet this morning. What you probably don't know is that the story was almost the complete opposite of the truth. Mikayla White, currently Severus's wife, is my god daughter. She's going through a stage of grieving in which she's very angry at the world…and everything in it, Dumbledore and those associated with him in particular. She intentionally set fire to the Ministry of Magic…twice, after finding out that they were throwing a celebration in his honor. The minister was originally going to send her to Azkaban, but was encouraged by Madam Newton to change her sentence to that of an arranged marriage, in hopes that her son would be the groom. I asked Severus to interfere on her behalf so that she would not be trapped with a man who might have taken advantage of her. Severus agreed to the arranged marriage and Mikayla is temporarily living in his quarters until the minister sees fit to grant them a divorce, which would be in no less, but possibly more than, three months…depending on how well she keeps herself out of trouble. The minister is also sending aurors to check up on them to ensure that they are living as a married couple rather than lying about it."

"Is she a danger to the students?" Remus asks, frowning.

"I don't believe she is. However, should she get out of hand, she is only one girl. We should be able to handle her." Minerva answers uncertainly, sounding as though she were trying to convince herself more than the others.

Severus sighs in annoyance at her doubt. "She's not dangerous. She wouldn't attack the students, and the only thing she's likely to set fire to in the castle is Dumbledore's painting. However, I would advise you not to speak highly of our previous headmaster in her presence. I have yet to test how she would react to it."

"Will we have the opportunity to meet her, Headmistress?" Sirius questions innocently.

"I hope you do," Severus mutters under his breath.

Minerva glares at him and Severus rolls his eyes again.

"She's confined to the grounds, not my quarters. I gave her the run of my bedroom and she has chosen not to emerge from it." Severus answers reluctantly. "Whether or not she chooses to explore the rest of the castle is up to her. I will not force her."

"Are there any other questions?" The Headmistress asks when the room falls silent.

"I have a question," Sirius pipes up, raising his hand.

"Yes, Sirius?" Minerva replies as though she knew what was coming.

"My house had two hundred points when I got up this morning." He starts. Severus smirks. Black was so predictable. "How did we go from two hundred to one hundred and forty?"

Minerva looks pointedly at Severus.

Severus shrugs, "It's a simple formula, Black. As a professor, you should already have it down. I warned Minerva that you weren't fit for this job."

Sirius starts to respond, but Severus cuts him off, talking over him. "X number of Gryffindors acting up is equal to the number of house points minus 10X. According to you, the current answer is one hundred and forty. That it eighty points below Slytherin. Don't you have a lot of catching up to do?"

"What did you do? Take points for breathing your air?"

"More for disrupting class than anything else, "Severus answers calmly. He meets Minerva's gaze before adding, "As a professor I have every right to take points in the attempt at keeping order in my classroom."

"Of course you do, Severus. We just find it odd that each house has lost an alarming amount of points except for Slytherin, which has gained five." Minerva points out.

"I treat all students equally. I gave and took where I saw fit." He counters defensively.

"Yes, well, we will see about that, won't we?' Black returns threateningly.

"You're a professor, Black, despite whether or not you're actually qualified to be one. So go ahead. Exercise your biased favor for Gryffindor house." Severus throws at him, "We are all aware of the fact that you have nothing better to do with your free time."

"Look who's talking, Snivellus." Sirius counters, "You'd know all about 'biased favor' wouldn't you?"

"As a matter of fact, no. It must be the only thing you know more about than I do." Severus sighs, "Well, there had to be something that you could excel at, I suppose. It's just a pity that it wasn't something more useful."

Before Sirius can reply, Minerva slams her hands down on the table. "Enough!" She glares at them. Sirius's mouth snaps but Severus just raises an eyebrow.

"I understand that you may be getting frustrated, Severus, but could you please make sure that you only take points in a reasonable manner?" She requests impatiently.

"I have never taken points in an unreasonable manner, Minerva, nor do I plan to start. The more the students act up, the more points I take. The last I checked, that wasn't against the rules." Severus replies, keeping his expression neutral.

"Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" She asks wearily.

"I would like for us to have a moment of silence for our dear potions master," Trelawney speaks up, a distant look in her eyes. "Not many people have to die twice."

Sirius snickers behind his hand. Severus sends her a look that said 'you've finally lost whatever was left of your mind, haven't you?'

"You can't die twice, Trelawney. There's no spell that can bring them back to life the first time." Remus corrects her.

"That's what I thought," She nods, tears in her eyes. "But the crystal ball told me the dark one would die twice. Our poor, poor potions master!"

"I don't plan on dying any time soon, I assure you." He sneers, "And once I do die, there's a good chance that I will remain dead and will therefore not have to worry about the second death."

"Believe what you will," She sighs, "but you can't say I didn't warn you."

"Is there anything else?" Minerva pushes, meeting the gaze of each one of the professors individually. "If that's all, then you are dismissed."

Severus, as always, remains seated until the other professors filed out of the room. Minerva drops into a seat just as Severus stands up to leave. He nods at her and she waves him out, not expecting him to stay.

"Good luck, Severus." She mutters at his retreating form.

He was surprised to find the other professors standing around in the corridor talking amongst themselves, and even more surprised to catch sight of who Sirius and Remus were talking to.

"Mikayla," He frowns.

"I'll fetch Minerva," Remus quickly excuses himself, unwilling to get caught up in another one of Sirius and Severus's battle of wits.

"I see the _infamous Severus Snape_ has finally decided to grace us with his presence." Sirius greets him mockingly. "My condolences on your new husband, Mikayla. He hasn't hurt you too badly, has he? If you ever get lonely, I'm just a few corridors away."

"Taken to hitting on _my wife_, mutt?" Severus sneers. He didn't like the way Black was looking at her.

"I successfully set the ministry of magic on fire without being caught before it was too late for them to stop me. If I were you, I would be more concerned with Severus's health than mine." She snaps irritably, holding out the Daily Prophet to Severus. He took it, raising an eyebrow. "Who did it? Who told them I was honoring that bastard?" She snarls.

"Skeeter makes up her stories herself," Minerva answers, coming up behind Severus, who was vaguely aware that every professor who had lingered behind was now watching them curiously. "I am under the impression that the only informant she had was Mr. Newton, the other groom.

"It wasn't you?" Mikayla asks accusingly, glaring at her godmother. "Are you lying to me?"

"Why would I lie about this, Mikayla? I have no reason to speak about you or Severus the way she wrote you two, and I am fully aware that you are nineteen, not fifteen. Nor was Severus an informant. If he had been, she probably wouldn't have cast him in such a terrible light." Minerva points out.

"Then someone should correct her!" Mikayla snaps.

"You don't correct Rita Skeeter. It only makes things worse." Severus objects calmly, "Whatever you say, she will turn it against you."

"Or, in this case, Severus," Minerva adds.

"Do you really think I care about what they say about him?" She turns her glare onto Severus, "You got yourself into this! They're making me out to be some sort of Dumbledore lover!"

"Yes, and if you interfere she may go so far as to say that he was some sort of a father figure to you and that I brainwashed you to turn you against him." Severus points out.

"She wouldn't!" Mikayla snarls.

"There is no telling what that Skeeter woman will pull next." Minerva agrees with Severus.

"What do you have against Dumbledore?" Sirius asks curiously.

"That's none of your business, is it?" She sneers, sending another glare at Minerva before turning around and storming back off down the hallway.

"Well?" Minerva says simply, staring pointedly at Sever.

"Well what? I told you she would be upset about it." Severus answers defensively.

"She can't spend three months locked up in that room, Severus! She'll go crazy! Go after her!" She scolds.

Severus rolls his eyes and slips past Black, who looked as though Mikayla had just slapped him. He quickly catches up to her and grabs her arm, forcing her to stop and face him.

"What do you want?" She snaps.

"Join us for dinner," He requests simply.

"I'll eat in the room," She declines curtly.

"Your driving Minerva mad by locking yourself up, and were you to sit next to me at the staff table Lupin and Black wouldn't be able to. Consider it a favor, if not to your godmother, than to me." He insists, his brilliant mind quickly supplying him with a decent argument.

She hesitates and sighs, unable to meet his gaze.

"Your students would talk," She murmurs so low that he had to strain to hear her.

"Then I will do the same thing I did when they started talking about the article this morning. Taking points and giving detentions are sufficient enough to stop them." He counters. After a moment he adds, "I don't care what they think. They have always simply believed what they chose to, regardless of the truth. This isn't any different."

"Points?" She frowns, confused.

"Something they certainly don't want to lose any more of any time soon." He answers simply, "Your presence couldn't possibly cause any more of a disturbance than the Prophet did this morning. Besides, you don't care what they say about me, remember?"

She almost smiles but quickly wipes it away, studying him. "Alright, I will do you the favor…but I fully expect you to repay me, in the unlikely occurrence that I would ever need one from you." She agrees finally.

He smirks and offers her his arm. After a moment's hesitation, she takes it.


	7. Revelations

Chapter 6 Revelations

In the Great Hall, Mikayla nervously took a seat at the staff table next to Severus. The dining hall was crowded and she could almost feel their eyes on her as they stared and whispered to the people sitting next to them. Severus glances at her and frowns. Her face was pale and her posture stiff. It couldn't be more obvious that she had never had this much attention pointed in her direction.

"Ignore them. The worst they can do is whisper." He murmurs quietly.

"All of them have seen the prophet?" She asks, staring down at the table.

"Undoubtedly. However, they will not bother you while you're close to me. They wouldn't dare utter their petty rumors in my presence…not after losing the house points I've taken from those who have already made that mistake." Severus assures her.

Before she could reply, the Headmistress stood and silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Before we begin, I have just a few announcements to make concerning the article regarding our potions master that appeared in this morning's daily prophet. First of all, I would like to introduce Mikayla White, my god daughter."

"Stand up," Severus instructs, just barely loud enough for her to hear him as Minerva motions towards her.

Mikayla quickly gets to her feet, looking out over the students with a determined, but guarded, expression. This incited more whispers from the students. Minerva smiled at her and turned back to the students as Mikayla sat back down.

"Silence!" Minerva snaps sharply. As the low roar dies down, she continues, "Secondly, there are very few parts to that article that reveal any amount of truth. All you need to know it that Miss White-"

"Snape," Severus cuts her off, correcting her. The last thing he needed at the moment was for it to get back to the ministry that Mikayla wasn't using his last name. The Minister would probably pounce on even that small tidbit and use it against him. "It's Mikayla Snape now, Headmistress."

Mikayla's breath caught in her chest as the crowd erupted into whispers yet again.

"Of course, Severus. Forgive me. I am still in the process to becoming accustomed to the change." Minerva answers and then addresses the students, "Mikayla _Snape _is Professor Snape's new wife. I suggest you ignore the article that Skeeter wrote and show both Professor Snape and his wife the proper respect. Anything less will be dealt with severely. Is that understood?"

A mumbled, "Yes" echoes across the room.

"Let the feast begin." Minerva finishes, waving her hands. Food, goblets, plates, and silverware appear on all of the tables and the students began digging in.

"If I were you I would expect that little speech to deter them for long." Severus mutters, loud enough for Minerva and Mikayla to both hear him.

"I think you've covered the bit about deterring them in your classes today, Severus. I merely wanted to introduce her and deny the article." Minerva answers, "I'm sure anyone who has checked house points today will know not to mess with the Slytherin head of house. By labeling you, Mikayla, as his wife, I imagine Severus's reputation will protect you as well."

"I don't need to be protected." Mikayla snaps at her. Starting in on her plate.

"Of course you don't." Minerva agrees simply, not wanting to argue with her on the first day that she hadn't locked herself away. At least the article was good for something.

"You realize, of course, that Minerva will not expect you to attend every meal in the Great Hall?" Severus points out, following Mikayla into his rooms.

"Maybe I will. It wasn't too bad." She answers sitting down on his couch and folding her legs beneath her.

"You mean you actually enjoyed spending extra time with me?" He asks mockingly.

"I mean I'm learning to tolerate your presence." She counters casually, avoiding his gaze.

"Coming from the witch who spends all of her time in my private chambers," He smirks.

"I'm not in your bedroom now," She points out.

"Obviously," He answers, "There is a first time for almost everything."

"So what do you plan on doing with me now that I'm not avoiding you like the plague?" She questions curiously.

"I wasn't aware that I needed to have something planned for you," He answers, mulling the idea over in him head, "I suppose I could make you scrub cauldron and reorganize my personal potions stores. I think a few of my ingredients need to be replaced. You can make me a list of them and I will make a trip to Diagon alley to retrieve them."

"Is that what husbands normally make their wives do? Clean up after them?" She asks mockingly, "I knew there was a reason I had a bad feeling about marrying you."

"Legally we aren't actually married," Severus smirks, wondering how long it would take the Minister of Magic to notice.

Mikayla frowns, "What do you mean? I saw you and Minerva sign the papers magically. I thought only the minister of Magic could change it."

Severus studies her curiously. If he didn't know any better, he would think that she was almost disappointed by the revelation. "In the wizarding world, by law, a marriage is not legally binding until it has been consummated. That's why the minister listed it as a requirement."

"So…legally, I could run off with Sirius Black and it wouldn't be considered cheating on you?" She muses, watching his reaction closely.

"No," He snaps instantly, an unexpected jealousy flaring up in him. He quickly shoves it aside and calms his tone of voice, hoping she hadn't noticed. "The Minister of Magic would still consider you unfaithful. The marriage may not be legally binding…at the moment, but the agreement certainly is. Besides that fact, it would thoroughly surprise me if you had any interest in Black. He was a strong supporter of Dumbledore."

"And I suppose you weren't?" She throws back, annoyed to the mention of Dumbledore.

"I was a strong supporter of the Dark Lord's downfall. I am the wizard who killed Dumbledore." He answers, a smug looks crossing his face as a look of surprise appears on hers.

"You killed Dumbledore?" Mikayla frowns. She hadn't expected that. "Why?"

"Why do you hate him so much?" Severus counters.

"That's none of your concern, is it?" She snaps at him.

"Then I'm sure you'll understand if I have no interest in discussing my business with you either. Marriage is meant to be give and take. I won't reveal any more than you do." He answers calmly.

"Then I suppose we've run out of things to discuss," She counters, standing up and moving back towards the bedroom. She hesitates in the doorway, "Goodnight, Severus."


	8. Owls

Chapter 7 Owls

The next morning, Severus was sitting at the staff table, innocently minding his own business when a large flock of owls pelted him with more letters than Severus could write in a week. The letters fell onto his head, on the floor around him, and even in his food. He had chosen eggs, toast, gravy, and a couple of pieces of bacon that morning. He hadn't expected the downpour. He met Minerva's gaze with a raised eyebrow. She shrugged and took one of the letters, silently offering to open it for him.

"Check it for hexes before you open it. The last time I received this much mail it was an ambush by Dumbledore's old fan club." Severus mutters as another group of owls flew down towards the table. This time the letters had been tied to the legs of the birds rather than having simply been given to them.

He waves his wand and magically unties them all at once, causing the birds to ruffle their feathers indignantly. One of them, a tawny owl, started pecking at his food. Before it could fly off, Severus flicked it upside its head. "You've done your job, now get out!" He snaps at them, shooing them away.

The students still sitting down at the house tables snickered, but a glare from the potions master quickly shut them up.

"Oh my…" Minerva gasps, her eyes quickly scanning through the letter she held.

"What is it this time?" Severus asks with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, uncomfortably aware that ever student and professor in the great hall were watching him curiously. "A parent who disapproves of my teaching methods?'

"It's…It's nothing. Really, Severus. It would be a waste of your time to read them all. You should focus on something more important, like reorganizing your potions cabinets."

"I did that just last month." Severus snaps, jerking the letter out of Minerva's hand. His eyes scanned the page and narrowed in fury. Before he could say anything, another one of the letters exploded into a loud, screeching female voice.

"YOU SORRY SON OF A TROLL! HOW DARE YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT POOR GIRL? YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR OUR CHILDREN! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TEACHING THEM? HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF INNOCENT YOUNG WOMEN WHEN YOU CAN'T GET ANYONE ELSE INTO YOUR BED? YOU DISGUST ME! BE A MAN AND LET THE POOR GIRL GO! Sincerely, Amy Winchester."

No one in the Great Hall dared to utter a single word as they stared at Severus apprehensively. Severus looked livid. His face had gone white and he looked as though he was about to go into a fiery rage at any second.

"Severus?" McGonagall questions softly, studying him with a concerned expression on her face.

Severus stiffly stood up without replying and stormed out of the great all, his robes billowing behind him like dark clouds. He went straight to his office, shutting and warding the door behind him. He didn't care that he's left Minerva to deal with all of his letters on her own. She had caused this, so she could be the one to clean it up. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself and regain his composure before moving towards his desk. He still had a half hour before his first class of the day. That was just enough time to take his mind off things by grading a few essays.

The moment he sat down beside his desk there was a knock at his door. He closed his eyes and mumbled an obscenity under his breath. A wave of his wand removed the wards from his door.

"Enter" He snarled coldly, prepared to take out his frustration on whoever had dared interrupt him. Much to his surprise, it was Mikayla who slipped into his office and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against the door and hesitantly met his gaze. It only took him a moment to realize why she was there. "You heard?"

"I was going to have breakfast, but I didn't go in because I heard the screaming." She admits.

"What do you want?" He demands, glaring at her. "If you've come to gloat you're wasting your time as well as mine. I have better things to do than to sit around listening to your bragging."

"I don't see anything worth bragging about." She snaps back defensively. "I was trying to make a point and they've made me out to be some weakling who can't take care of herself! Poor girl? Honestly!"

He glared at her for another moment, waiting to see whether she intended to leave or continue her rant. She met his glare with a stubborn one of her own, waiting for him to reply.

"Why are you here?" He asks finally.

"I…don't know. I followed you to see where you'd go. It seemed like a good idea at the time." She confesses, looking away.

For a split second Severus could see straight through her defenses. She had a look about her that was older than her years. Rather than the rebellious child he'd initially took her for, he saw a young woman who looked almost…lost.

"Sit down," He offers, nodding towards the chair across from him.

He hesitated, her defenses back up and guarded against him, but after a moment she moved towards the chair and sat down. "I'm sorry being married to me is causing you so many problems. If it's worth anything, I was trying to make everyone see what a monster Dumbledore was. I never intended for it to come back at anyone else."

"You are not at fault for the fact that those idiots are too thick headed to realize that not everything they read is true," He observes, "Furthermore, you didn't want to marry me to begin with. Minerva is more to blame for the disturbances than you are."

"Minerva has never learned to mind her own bloody business," Mikayla mutters.

"That is true. "However, it is also true that you won't be married to me for nearly as long as you would have been sent to Azkaban. You owe her." He points out.

Before Mikayla can reply, there's another knock at Severus' office door. Severus resists the urge to sigh in annoyance and replies, "Enter" in a commanding, impatient tone of voice. He quickly gets to his feet as the door opens to reveal a young dark skinned man wearing auror's robes. He had brown eyes, a heavy build, and kept his hair cut close to his scalp. He wasn't much taller than Mikayla, who had jumped to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"What do you want?" Severus demands, his voice laced with venom. The last thing he needed at the moment was to have to deal with an auror.

"Ah, I'm so glad you're both here. I've come to monitor your interactions for the day."


End file.
